A year ago at this time, then Milwaukee King senior Lance Kendricks was mulling scholarship offers from some of the top programs in the country including LSU, Alabama, Arkansas and South Carolina.

But two weeks later on Dec. 26, 2006, the four-star recruit gave his oral commitment to join head coach Bret Bielema's first recruiting class at the University of Wisconsin.

Immediately, Kendricks rose atop the list of UW's 22 recruits in the 2006 class (ranked by Rivals.com as the 43rd in the country) and many, including Bielema, believed the physically gifted wide receiver could compete immediately for playing time.

"[Kendricks is a] guy that had many different opportunities throughout the country," Bielema said on Feb. 1. "He's a big athlete that can run. We're going to start him at the wide receiver position. We think he can come in and add a presence there early on."